Happily Ever Afternoon Tea

This afternoon my sewing group (wittily named in our emails 'Sew Chatty' because there is a preponderance of chat and a general lack of sewing when we meet) went to Grand Afternoon Tea. And it was quite good, and a bit grand. There was the option of Champagne Grand Afternoon Tea and we all chose that. It wasn't posh bubbly, but delightful on a hot afternoon all the same. And we had endless cups of tea and coffee as well. It didn't rate as highly as it could for me, because the tea was made from tea bags while the coffee was brewed. Oh, MrsDrWho just emailed me this menu for High Tea in New York. To paraphrase Mick Dundee: That's an afternoon tea.

That's our afternoon tea and we all love the tongs. The sandwiches were lovely and fresh, the egg ones being especially delicious and I had two!!! The scones were light and slightly warm. The little pavlovas were yummy and the brownies, I gather, were also rich and moreish. The place setting were very nice and the serviettes were fabric.

I wore The New Dress I sewed out in public to Grand Afternoon Tea. I added sleeves with some pleats and I bound the hem with green biased binding and the neck with the dress fabric. The FBA went well, but the darts are too high. I don't think anyone else would notice, but when I make my next dress I'll move them 5cm lower. Peri is not quite sure about The Dress. I think she's worried it will be Self Stitched September all over again!!! The Dress is quite cool, but I think The Next Dress made from a lighter cotton will be even cooler.

In The BlackSpot of Doomlight(tm) their sale fabric was half price so I picked up three metres of this border print to make another version of The Dress for just $7-50. I plan on over-dyeing it. I am thinking lime or chartreuse, rather than a darker green.

The weather had been nicely cool, but from today it started heating up again. Peri and Gilly have been enjoying the cool temperatures on our walks and they have been doing a lot of mad running.

My next door neighbour and I grew our own garlic last year. We bought the bulbs from a local grower and our first attempts have been quite successful. I am hoping to grow a lot more this year after our first experiment. Now if my rhubarb will just settle in and start growing things would be great.

I knitted another cardigan for Susan the temporarily one armed doll. I should have called it The Kimble Cardigan. It's the same general pattern as before, but using Ixchel merino/nylon sock wool in the Harry Potter colour.

I took a picture of the moon. I glanced out the window and it looked eerie. I clicked my little camera to the night-time-far-away setting and rested it on the window ledge and voila!!

Twinings are heavily advertising their new Australian Afternoon Tea. There was a blending competition and it is highlighted in this month's Delicious and in other media. No-one in either of our two supermarket chains knew anything about it and I was looking forward to a cup next week. I emailed Twinings to ask where I could buy it and they said: We are unable to provide store ranging on this particular product at this time and then urged me to ask at the stores. I don't think they actually read my email and they weren't helpful at all. Now I think I shall just drink some of the swish leaf tea I received for Christmas instead. I have a selection of about twenty to choose from. I am so lucky!!

On Thursday Peri and Gilly are off to The Vet, together, to be vaccinated, generally checked out and weighed. It shouldn't be so hot by then and we are going in the morning before 11am. The Vets are very kind and let them go in together and it only costs us for one appointment and no-one has to stay home alone howling like a banshee.

Comments

[Lois]

I hope the girls have a good vet visit. It's very kind of your vet to charge you for just one visit. None of the vets up here would do that.....it must be all the yummy goodies you make for them!! LOL

So glad you had somewhere nice to debut your new dress!! You look lovely in it!

That's a pretty good haul of garlic there! Good luck with your rhubarb.

[Janette]

High tea does look grand and you look simply lovely in your cool green dress. Wish I could sew like that!
Oh how I love your new fabric!!!!!! I'm going to get myself down to Spotlight on Saturday to see if they have any. I'm sure I could manage a skirt ;p
The girls look as though they are enjoying the cooler weather. Hope you get a few more cool days.
The garlic looks delicious!
Great photo of the moon.
I do love Susan's new cardigan. Looking forward to seeing her wear it, when she is feeling a whole :) lot better that is.
I hadn't heard about the Twinings Tea, must watch out for it next time I'm shopping.

[Monika]

Oh, yummy, that High Tea looks fantastic! I've never been to one though. Just saw it in movies. :o)
Lovely dress, and I'm looking forward to the overdyed fabric dress. The girls are clever to run a lot, when it's not too hot yet. It's much more enjoyable.
I've unsuccessfully tried to take pictures of the moon several times, but I'm too shaky.
Good luck with the Vet visit. I'm sure it's nothing like we had with Maggie, who needed to be carried in, such a chicken!

[monica]

You look so nice in your dress!!! I think I'd be the one howling like a banshee at home. :)

[Ann]

Your dress looks lovely on you & so suitable for summer. I love afternoon teas especially scones & cream. I also grew garlic in my garden but my harvest is not as good as yours.

[Judy Edmonds]

Do you want me to send you a box? It's in my local coles. It is quaite naice.

[sue]

Oh I havent heard of that tea either. Your arvo tea looks very swish! Love the green dress - with all this heat I am starting to think I should be wearing a sarong!

[Taphophile]

High tea - very nearly the ultimate in civilised activity.

[RoseRed]

I do love a good high tea. With egg sandwiches and warm scones. And lashings of jam and cream (especially cream!). How flash to wear your new dress! And I love the border print fabric, I think overdying it will make it perfect!
I saw the new afternoon tea on the news! I must look out for it at the shops too.
Good luck at the vets, I'm sure the girls will be very good.

[mrspao]

I love high tea - it is the best thing :) I was lucky enough to go for tea at the Ritz for my 35th birthday and it was incomparably gorgeous. We do have a local tea room that does amazing teas though.

[Michelle Lee]

I love high teas!!! But I always prefers the savory ones compared to the sweet stuff

[Jennifer Rose]

i've never actually been to a high tea lol and there are all kinds of places around here that have them

isn't rhubarb one of those things that once it does grow, you can never get rid of it when you want? i remember my aunt tried everything to get rid of theirs, ended up digging the whole veggie patch up down 3 feet and replacing the soil

[Lara]

Gosh I love reading about your life :)

[Taphophile]

we got the Aussie afternoon tea bag with our paper today. Would you like it?

[Larjmarj]

Lovely! You know I <3 green!! Maybe Peri wants a matching collar? ;-) I grow my own garlic every year, once it gets started it's like weeds. It might not grow as large as commercial garlic but it's much more powerful. Small but mighty.

[Sasha]

Oooh! Very grand indeed, what fun! Lovely dress and I look forward to seeing that fabulous print overruled and sewn up; it will look fantastic. Great photos of the mad runners :D I hope their vet visit goes well :)

[Leonie]

Have you sourced any of The Aussie Arvo tea yet? I've got a big box here and can send you some. I'm liking it a lot. It's less taniny than the English and Irish Breakfast teas. Which are my usual fare.